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You can get the inside scoop on weekly menus, seasonal recipes and other food and family related musings with our Be Nourished Blog. We also provide free weekly meal plans for your local San Diego CSA boxes.

Nourish offers a variety of services, including one-on-one coaching, workshops, and our signature Nourish parties. Each of our products are designed with your unique needs and goals in mind, meaning they are all intentionally flexible and customizable.

 Our mission is to do whatever it takes to get you and your family back to dinner table, sharing meals together. Let’s get together and explore what that might look like for your family.

Winter Harvest week

This week winter's harvest brings; mixed greens, beets, carrots, collard greens or broccoli leaf, red cabbage, lettuce, mustard greens, pink lady apples, oranges, avocado, and oro blanco grapefruit

Sunday

Arroz Con Pollo
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe and a bit of chopping, moving and shaking. If you can get past the intimidation of the list of ingredients, you'll find like I did that it's actually a fun recipe to make - some unusual flavor combinations and a nice hearty dish results. A beautiful Sunday dinner with leftovers for the week.

Uses; Carrots

Monday
Off


Tuesday
Burritos - Use the leftover rice and chicken (shredded) from Monday, beans and cheese and some of the red cabbage shredded.
Cheesy Jalepeno Pull Bread (I made this for the Super Bowl - it's fun food)
Chunky Avocado Guacamole
Lightly mash together; 2-3 avocados, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 seeded and chopped tomato, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 small red onion, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Uses; Red cabbage, avocados

Wednesday
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Slow Cooker Potpie
This is delicious, easy and really comforting. The kids enjoy the "pie" on top...so do the adults!

Thursday
Leftovers with Broccoli Leaf Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing

Lemon Herb Dressing
Mix or shake together in a jar;
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Tablespoon of yellow mustard and Dijon mustard
Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of chopped dill

Uses; Broccoli leaf

Friday
Farro Soup "Mommy how do you make this juice stuff? (the broth) It's so yummy and warms my tummy all up" -Max, my 4 year old chef

I like to make a nice hearty soup sometimes on a Friday night so that we can eat it for lunch throughout the weekend. The boys gobbled this up - it's so tasty and full of all the things our bodies crave and need this time of year. I love the taste and texture of farro and appreciate even more how good it is for you!

1 small onion or 1/2 a large one
5 large carrots chopped
3 large celery stalk chopped
1 16 oz diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups farro
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 16 oz can washed and rinsed (I use Cannellini)
5 large leaves of cabbage, Swiss chard or collard greens chopped stems and leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
3 minced garlic cloves
olive oil

Coat a dutch oven or large caste iron pot with olive oil. Heat it up and add the onions. Cook until translucent.
Add the minced garlic, carrots and celery and chopped thyme leaves. Cook until soft. Heat butter in a non-stick skillet and toast the farro for about 3-4 minutes on high until it starts to get golden and smell nutty. Pour the farro in with the onions and veggies and stir. Stir in the tomatoes - juice and all. Add the beans and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer about 25 minutes or until farro is nice and tender and chewy. Add chopped greens and cook until greens are wilted but not soggy, about 2-3 minutes.

Uses; Collard Greens

Saturday Ham and Swiss Broccoli casserole

Ham or pancetta chopped - about a cup and a half
Chopped broccoli leaf, collard greens or mustard greens
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cooked rice
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed or fresh chopped and steamed
Cooking spray
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat a dutch oven or saucepan with olive oil and brown the pork, add chopped greens toward the end to wilt them. Remove pork and greens from pan and place on paper towels. Combine the next 4 ingredients in the pan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Add cheese; stir until melted. Remove from heat; stir in cooked rice and broccoli. Transfer broccoli mixture to an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Sprinkle broccoli mixture with breadcrumbs. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Uses; Broccoli leaf, collard greens or mustard greens

Kid Friendly

Looking out at the boys as they throw rocks out into the waves at the beach I think are they too skinny? And then I realize I am looking at what healthy looks like. I can see their little muscles and the strength of their ribs as they stretch and run. It’s a real reflection of what society in America has done to skew our vision of healthy. Too skinny or "overweight" might be just right. How could I doubt for even a moment whether these two boys were healthy. I know exactly what goes into their bodies. And there are few things that make me more proud.
Some mom's might jump for joy at their children's first steps, some might relish the moment their children first went pee pee in the potty....my proudest moments are when my boys say "this is the best dinner we've ever had Mommy." My kids have been raised from their first bite of "real food" to eat what's been prepared. Since we prepare almost all of our meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner just about every day, they have gradually learned the one rule at our table is that you have to try everything. Whatever you don’t like you don't have to eat. (O.k. there are other rules...don't pick your nose at the table, don't use your shirt as a napkin, and save the potty talk for dessert to name a few…) Since Mommy likes to test all kinds of recipes out on her family, they've tried just about everything at a very young age. When new moms ask me for advice this is the first one I share (and only when they ask...new mom's get enough unsolicited advice!) Start where you want to end up, with everything, especially eating. Don't cook something special or separate for your kids. And don't assume because they are children that they will only eat 4 things (generally chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and spaghetti from what I've seen).
Let's be clear, my kids have things they don’t like...Kai won’t eat raw tomatoes (Max loves them) and he's not a fan of purple cabbage. Max will eat anything but would live off fruit and pickles if he could and they both like a good mac and cheese as much as the next kid, but they also love pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, Brussels sprouts, and quinoa. Their diets are diverse, full of color and generally made from fresh, organic and preferably local ingredients. We talk about where our food comes from and what it means to eat seasonally. These are things we have to teach our kids because our schools don't.
Here are some great places to start so that you end up where you want to be;
Whole wheat bread and pasta - trust me no one knows the difference if this is where you start.
Have fruit around, beautifully displayed in a bowl where they can reach it...they can't resist colorful things shaped like balls!
Represent as many food groups as you can on the plate it’s much more interesting and provides more choices and more opportunities for learning.
Don’t give up on anything – just because they say they don’t like it keep putting it out there – like everything else related to kids – nothing ever seems to stay long. They are changing all the time. I’m not a fan of hiding or slipping in the good stuff. Kids won’t learn anything this way, but I’m also a fan of getting nutrients in anywhere possible so here's a few "tricks" that worked for us
* "Chocolate milk" - one part chocolate soy milk 3 parts low fat milk – this way they get some soy and some Vitamin D without so much sugar.
*Sprinkle ground flax on oatmeal, yogurt and in your pancake batter for a nutritional kick
*For juices add a bit of water to dilute the sugar
*No Soda – if they want a little fizz every now and then (because w all do don’t we?) try flavored sparkling water.
 *Shrimp are fun.
Here's a Kid Friendly meal plan for the week using the following seasonal ingredients I found in my Garden of Eden Co-Op box this week;

Lettuce ,broccoli, broccoli leaf. carrots, Russian kale, cilantro, Asian pears,Asian guava, tangerines, and avocado

Sunday Broccoli Mac and Cheese

1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Cheddar-American cheese blend
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and coarsely chopped
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in all-purpose flour; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.
Whisk in milk gradually; cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in broccoli and pasta. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs; dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.
To lighten: Substitute equal portions reduced-calorie margarine, 2% reduced-fat milk, and 2% reduced-fat shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, and reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Cook as directed, and pour into baking dish. Stir together remaining margarine, melted, and breadcrumbs; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Bake as directed, and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Uses; Broccoli

Monday Sliders

I get Trader Joe's Slider buns and hamburgers (already pre-made in bite-size portions) and grill them on my indoor or outdoor grill with all the fixings. Serve with sweet potato fries and a green salad....and lots of pickles for Max. These are a fun twist on the everyday Hamburger and fries.

Tuesday Off or leftovers

Wednesday Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

 Uses; Carrots

Thursday

Avocado-Banana Smotthie and Slow Cooker Oatmeal

This Otameal is great to throw together in your slow cooker the night before so it's all ready to go in the morning;

1 1/2 cups steel cut or old fashioned oats

3 cups water

2 cups chopped peeled apples or blueberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine all in your slow cooker cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Smoothie

 Blend 1 avocado, 1 banana, 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt, 1 1/2 cups fresh orange or tangerine juice (from 3 oranges or 5 tangerines), 1/4 cup honey, and 1 1/2 to 3 cups ice.

Uses: Avocado and tangerines

Friday Cauliflower Pizza

This was so fun to make with the kids and REALLY yummy!

 Saturday Bacon and Butternut Pasta

Uses; Kale

Obsessions

I have to admit to a small problem I have...I have been known to obsess on a food or two here and there, get hooked, binge a bit. My obsessions have ranged from ice cream sandwiches and organic cheese puffs to pine nuts and Chino Farms french strawberries. Lately it's been pretzels - not the dry salty kind you find in a bag, but doughy pretzel rolls and soft pretzels. I had been buying the pretzel rolls from Trader Joe's or local bakeries and making (more appropriately hoarding) them for lunch with ham, swiss, and mustard. And then I ran across this recipe over the holidays that I squirreled away until I was feeling brave enough to try it. Whenever I see something involving yeast I tend to get anxious and think of all the ways I could screw it up (see my earlier post "Zucchini mmmmuffins") for more on my issues with baking.

I am no longer afraid of baking with yeast, but I am concerned with how much I have now eaten since I started making these pretzels. I made one batch as a "snack" this weekend and the whole family gobbled them up - fresh from the oven with cream cheese and mustard to dip them in. And then I had to make them again...just for me. All for me ah, ah, ah! Maybe this isn't just a small problem...

This week's seasonal pics include; Lettuce, mixed greens, beets, fresh garlic, broccoli, swiss chard,celery, Asian pears, kumquats, avocado,and oranges.

As a reminder, when I create a meal plan with the week's produce, I am taking into consideration what needs to be eaten sooner rather than later - avocados that need to ripen, hearty kale that can wait, etc. I also try and plan quicker/easier meals for the week days and those that may take a bit more time for the weekends. With that in mind here's this week's plan.

Sunday

Chicken Enchiladas
Leftover Salsa Verde can be used in this recipe or on the side with chips (see this weekends post for recipe)
These enchiladas can be made ahead and frozen too.

Uses; garlic and celery

Monday

Spaghetti with Swiss Chard Hash
Box of spaghetti (I use enriched or whole wheat but use what you like)
Bunch of Chard stems and leaves
1-1.5 pounds of ground turkey or beef
1/2 and onion chopped into small pieces
olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese to top

Get your water boiling first and cook your pasta according to the package directions. Put a bit of olive oil in a skillet and begin sauteing your chopped onion until it's translucent. Add your minced clove of garlic and then put your meat in an begin browning it in a skillet and chop/break it up into small pieces as it cooks. While the pasta and meat are cooking wash and remove the stems of your chard. Chop the stems up into small pieces and put them into the pan with the meat and onions. When the meat is just about done drain the fat if needed and then add the chard greens and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper the meat and chard. Put a heaping spoonful of the chard and meat hash on top of a serving of pasta with some cheese on top and serve.

Uses; Swiss chard

Tuesday

Shrimp and Spinach Stuffed Shells


Stuffing


 20 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pound fresh spinach
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon potato starch (look for potato starch near the cornstarch in your supermarket)
Cooking spray
3 cups marinara sauce
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta 7 minutes or until almost al dente, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, milk, and pepper; cook until cheese melts, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in basiln and spinach. Place shrimp in a bowl. Sprinkle with potato starch; toss well to coat. Add cream cheese mixture to shrimp; toss well.
Divide shrimp mixture evenly among pasta shells. Coat a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; spread 1 cup marinara over bottom of dish. Arrange shells in prepared dish; top with remaining 2 cups marinara. Sprinkle shells evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until shrimp is done and the cheese and golden and bubbling.

Uses; Garlic

Wednesday

Leftovers

Thursday

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Potpie (Slow Cooker)

Roasted Broccoli (you can add Cauliflower in too for more variety)

Place Broccoli in a large bowl toss with 2 lightly beaten eggs and coat evenly. Dredge through a plate of Parmesan. Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a pan over medium high. Cook the dredged broccoli in batches in the hot oil until a crust forms about 3 minutes per side. Turn the broccoli when they easily release from the pan. Drain on paper towels and season with salt before serving.

Uses; Broccoli

Friday
Citrus Beet Salad (One of my favorite salads!) and PRETZELS?!

4 beets

5 tangerines or clementines seperated into sections

1 small red onion

1 small bunch chopped mint

1 1/2 cups crumbled goat cheese

Add the beets to a large pot of boiling water; simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool.

Peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the citrus segments, onion, mint and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Top with goat cheese. you can put this all over some lettuce or mixed greens too if you like.

Uses; Uses; beets and oranges, lettuce or mixed greens

Saturday

Pan Roasted Sea Bass with Citrus and Avocado

Cream Cheese and Lemon Muffins

The family loves these and we eat them all week long for breakfast, snack or dessert.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 package (4 oz/125 gram) cream cheese, cut into bits

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Glaze

2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add cream cheese bits and gently mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, oil, lemon rind and lemon juice.
Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Spoon batter into 8 greased (or paper cup lined)  muffin cups.
Bake in the center of a 350F preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch.
Brush glaze over hot muffins.

Uses; oranges, avocados and grapefruits from last week if you still have them

 





 



Salsa Verde with Guava's and Avocado





I thought I might share this fun salsa I made this weekend using tomatillos, guava's and avocado. It might inspire you to make and bring something seasonal to the Super Bowl parties this weekend!

Salsa Verde with Guava's and Avocado
5-10 Tomatillo's
1/2 Serrano Jalepeno' (more if you like it spicy)
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves smashed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 large avocado chopped (more if you like)
3-4 chopped guava's
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)

Peel the tomatillos, rinse and cut into halves. Place cut side down on a lined sheet pan. Roast in an
oven under broil for 15 minutes or until they begin to brown. Keep the oven door slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. Place the first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to mix. I like it a little lumpy. Pour it into your serving bowl and top with cilantro, avocado and guava. Serve with your favorite chips .





Productivity

I heard a friend of mine talking the other day about what a productive day she had. I could relate to her feeling and need to check off the "to-do's" and "get things done." Sometimes it seems if your day isn't "productive" then you just aren't living or maybe you're just not successfully living. I wonder how that happened? When did this become such a measure of worth? Unfortunately when I look in the mirror I can't deny that I perpetuate the myth that if you've got it all done - the laundry, the grocery shopping, the house clean, the e-mails cleared, the bills paid that somehow you're a more productive person. My favorite part of the day today was cuddling in my bed with a freshly bathed Max reading a book. Probably not the definition of productive...there was laundry to be done. I know it's a late New Year's resolution, but mine is to be less productive this year.

This week's seasonal ingredients are lettuce, napa cabbage, basil or arugula, butternut squash, spinach or mixed greens, radishes, broccoli, pink lady apples, tangerines, avocado, guavas, and oro blanco grapefruit.

I read one of my favorite blogs today; Sprouted Kitchen. I was surprised at the synchronicity in our thinking today and thrilled to see a recipe using some of this weeks ingredients. I'll be making this Black Bean and Butternut Soup for our Sunday dinner. A great way to end the weekend and something healthy to eat for lunch throughout the week.

Uses; Butternut Squash, Cabbage and Avocado

Monday    I'm calling this the everyone-has-a-cough-in-my-house dinner...
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Fresh squeezed orange juice
Biscuits

Chicken Noodle Soup
I made my own stock but you can use prepared stock if you prefer.

1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken or 4 boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts

3 quart(s) water or 1/2 chicken broth

6 carrots, peeled

4 stalk(s) celery, ends trimmed

3 medium onions, peeled

1 clove(s) garlic, crushed

10 sprig(s) parsley

2 sprig(s) thyme

2 bay leaf

2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon(s) salt

1 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper

3 cup(s) (5 ounces) medium egg noodles or fresh pasta

Make the stock: Place the chicken and chicken broth/water in a large stockpot and set it over medium heat. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and 1 onion and add to the broth. Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender -- about 1 1/4 hours -- skimming the surface periodically. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a very fine sieve into a large, bowl or stockpot. Discard the vegetables.
Make the soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, and onions into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and set aside. Shred the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent -- about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender -- about 1 hour. Stir in the egg noodles or pasta and parsley and cook until the noodles are tender -- about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.

Tuesday
Baked Broccoli with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce *kids loved this

Baked Pasta and Broccoli with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head cauliflower, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 medium shallots, roughly chopped (or sub about 1/2-3/4 cup diced onion)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I did just under that, between 1/8-1/4)
6 ounces Pecorino cheese, grated (about 2 cups- could sub fresh grated Parmesan)
1/2 pound medium multi grain pasta shells or bow ties
1/4 pound sliced smoked ham, chopped (about 1 cups)
1 medium bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets (3-5 cups)
optional: 1/2 cup toasted whole-wheat panko (Japanese bread crumbs) for serving.

Instructions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add cauliflower, garlic, shallots, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with flour; stir to coat well.

Gradually stir in milk; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; gently simmer until cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer all to a blender, and puree with nutmeg and half the pecorino until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta until slightly tender but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes.  (Note:  If you like your broccoli pretty tender, add it to boiling pasta water for a couple of minutes before draining)  Drain well; return to pot.  Add ham, broccoli, and cauliflower sauce; toss to combine.  Transfer to an ovenproof 3 1/2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining pecorino, and bake until bubbling in center, about 30 minutes.  Heat broiler, and broil until golden brown on top, 1-2 minutes.  Divide among dishes, top with breadcrumbs (if using), and serve immediately.

Uses; Broccoli

Wednesday

Leftovers

Thursday

Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Use your fresh spinach here instead!

Uses: Spinach and Basil

Friday

Off or leftovers

Saturday

Spinach Salad and ? depends on how productive I am!

Avocado-Banana Smoothie

Spinach
Chopped hard boiled eggs

Dressing;
Mix together...to taste.
Tablespoon of honey mustard
Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Tablespoon of honey
Salt Pepper

Tasting the Orange

I found myself being grateful for, of all things, oranges the other day. It's as if I am discovering all their goodness for the first time. I grew up in Arizona and moved to San Diego in 1995. Oranges were a pretty run of the mill fruit for me until recently. I found myself eating the tangerines and oranges provided by my CSA and found in farmers markets right now as if they were a treasure of the season. A bright, diverse, flavorful surprise in an otherwise (in my opinion) rather boring time of the produce year.
I actually found myself limiting how many I was eating as if they were a delicacy and the boys are eating them like they're a real treat.

I thought all oranges were created equally for the most part.

I was sooo wrong;

There are two major varieties of oranges: Navels and Valencias. Seasonal specialties include the Moro, a blood orange, and the red Cara Cara, a navel variety. Then there are tangerines, tangelos, clementines and mandarines - satsumas being the seasonal variety we're seeing now. Every one of these has their own amazing taste and use. And there are so many more...And I'm enjoying trying them all.

Taste of the orange is a phrase I heard my friend use that means even if you read about it or see pictures of it until you taste it, you can't know the orange.

I love this phrase for its literal meaning as well as what it brings up around trying new things - sometimes even those that are right there in front of you and may seem ordinary. We're surrounded by so many chances for new experiences but sometimes we don't see them or don't want to see them because it would mean stepping out of our comfort zones.

So try a new variety of orange this week, and step into some thing new in your life this year - especially if it takes you out of your comfort zone.

This week's seasonal bounty includes; lettuce, arugula,carrots,acorn squash, tomatillos,cilantro,baby russian kale,spinach,apples, navel oranges, tangerines, avocado

I have included a few "orange" related recipes this week to play with, and some new twists on semmingly "old" recipes in hopes of fueling your own "tasting of the orange."

Sunday
Make some of  these yummy muffins today (really easy) and eat them for breakfast all week!
Blueberry-Orange Cornmeal Muffins
(make sure you use fine corn meal)

Uses; Oranges

Monday

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Rice Pilaf
Carrots (I used mine form last week here) and Peas or roast your acorn squash and serve here
If you double the batch you can eat 1/2 tonight and then shred the rest for Thursday night's dinner
I mix it up and use boneless breasts and legs (for the kids)
The sauce is the best to pour over everything

Uses; Acorn Squash

Tuesday
Pan Seared Tilapia with Citrus Vinaigrette

Uses; Oranges
Wednesday
Leftovers

Thursday
Chicken salad with avocado dressing

Dressing;

2 avocados

1 cup buttermilk

1 scallion (white and light-green parts only), thinly sliced

1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, buttermilk, scallion, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and water. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and pulse until smooth.

Salad:

3 1/4 cups shredded cooked chicken (you can use your leftovers form Monday if you have them)

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 avocado, diced small

3/4 cup Avocado Dressing

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 large slices sourdough bread, toasted

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, shallot, avocado, and dressing. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve on toast or spinach.

Uses; Avocadoes and spinach

Friday
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
Shrimp:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salsa:
1/2 pound tomatillos, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 avocado, peeled
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

To prepare shrimp, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 4 minutes or until done.
To prepare salsa, place tomatillos and next 9 ingredients (through serrano) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide shrimp evenly among tortillas. Top each with about 1/4 cup salsa; fold in half.

Uses; Cilantro and Tomatillo's

Saturday
Looking forward to trying this new version of a "chopped salad"
Blow your salad to smithereens

Uses; Russian Kale

Food and all our stuff

Our Christmas dinner....

Many of us sat together as families and extended families these last few weeks around food. I of course deeply believe that it is around meals and food that so much of life's magic occurs. When you think about the memories that stick with you, they are so often connected to food in one way or another.

Memories as we all know, can cut both ways. For one of my very good friends, cooking reminds her of her mother who passed away 6 years ago. Her memories are both beautiful and painful as it was her mom who carried the recipes, traditions and passion for cooking. Those passions were not passed down and now only live in the memories. My friend and I are working to bring those passions and skills back and have uncovered so many emotions along the way.

Every meal is a chance to connect and learn more about those you share your life with. Sometimes those meals and learning's are filled with dysfunction and discomfort, but it's still connection and learning. Sometimes they are filled with traditions and ritual. If those traditions aren't passed down from generation to generation they can so easily get lost forever. Families need those traditions and rituals and connections now more than ever with so many distractions, stresses, and commitments swirling around.

I hope you took a moment through the holidays to appreciate all that those memories bring - even those that may be filled with pain. I am grateful for the time we spent together around meals these last few weeks - mostly because I was able to observe other people's rituals and traditions and to appreciate the rarity of them from a distance. If you aren't sharing, learning, and creating your own traditions through meals and food take the time this year to move in that direction in some way.

Here are some of my husbands side of the families traditions we shared this holiday season (still learning how to make them!)

Choppino and Crab

Canolli's

This week's seasonal offerings are mixed greens or lettuce, spinach, dill, parsley, carrots, chard, apples, tangerine,avocado,and oranges.

Sunday

Cheesy Meatballs and Pasta *kids love this

You don't need to make a double batch, you'll have extras you can freeze or save for later. Two meals in one!

Uses: parsley

Monday

Monday's are tough, I'm going to throw us a little cocktail party...

Ginger Red-Wine Spritzers (my favorite new drink - we tried it over the holiday) for the Big People and Flavored Soda water for the kids.

Spinach Pizza Rolls - use your fresh spinach here instead of frozen. Just put it into some coiling water for a few quick minutes until it gets limp. Then put in a big bowl of ice water (blanching). Then drain and cut up.

Uses: spinach

Tuesday

Lemon and Dill pasta Salad
1 pound bow tie pasta
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups torn arugula or spinach
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the lemon peel, lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, bell pepper, arugula, eggs, Parmesan, pine nuts and dill. Add the lemon dressing and toss.

 

Uses; Dill, spinach

 

Wednesday

 

Leftovers

 

Thursday

 

Chard with Scallions, Parsley and Dill

Bunch of chard, stems removed. leaves blanched (see above re: spinach for how to blanche)

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 bunches scallions, including 2 inches of greens

3 tablespoons parsley

3 tablespoons chopped dill

salt and pepper

 

Coarsely chop the blanched chard. warm olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, then add the scallions and herbs. Cook gently until wilted and fragrant then add the chard and continue cooking until heated through. season with salt and pepper and serve with cous cous or quinoa.

 

Uses; Chard, parsley and dill

 

I'm craving berries (summer nostalgia...) so I'm going to serve this with a simple berry salad dusted with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

 

Friday

Off or pizza night

 

Saturday

Pasta salad for lunch

Whole wheat rotini pasta

Bite sized chopped carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, cheese and creamy Italian dressing (I use store bought for this) Sometimes I add salami or other veggies I have around. Mix together while pasta is still warm and serve cold or warm. It gets better after it sits for awhile.

 

Uses; carrots